Posted By:
Ted ZanidakisUpon close observation of this card and brain-storming with Bill Huggins, Bill and I concluded that this
"mystery" card is definitely for real. My theory is that it was designed to be printed in the 1st series
of 49 cards in the 1949 Leaf BB set. I base this theory on the fact that the "split-color" background
design was only employed in the 1st series.
Furthermore, minor differences such as the wording "left-handed" (vs "left") for Newhouser's throwing
and batting is wording that is found only on (some) 1st series cards....and, not on any 2nd (SP) series
cards.
So, for unknown reasons (possibly contractual), Leaf did not include this Newhouser card in their 1st
series. But, relegated a different Newhouser pose to the 2nd series....which most of us never saw.
This was a mistake, as this "prototype" card of Newhouser is certainly more attractive than the one
they issued. And, us kids back in the Spring of 1949 would have had one of the few cards of this HOF
southpaw.
TED Z